Itanagar: A major fire broke out in a forest adjacent to the Sigar military station in Arunachal Pradesh’s East Siang district, prompting an extensive response from authorities, officials said on Sunday.
No casualties have been reported so far, but the flames have been spreading quickly and pose a potential threat to nearby defence establishments in the area, they said.
Teams from the district administration and the Indian Army have been mobilised to bring the fire under control. The blaze, which started on Saturday, has proven difficult to contain due to the region’s rugged terrain and thick forest cover, officials added.
The state government sought the deployment of a helicopter from the Indian Air Force to support aerial firefighting efforts after ground teams struggled to contain the blaze amid the difficult terrain, officials said.
An IAF helicopter was pressed into service on Sunday and began water-bombing operations by drawing water from the Siang River to help douse the flames.
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The aerial firefighting mission was suspended temporarily on Sunday evening for operational reasons, officials said, adding that it is expected to resume on Monday.
Meanwhile, ground teams continue to battle the blaze in the affected forest area.
